Will a brand new three-cylinder engine revive conventional F3 in Europe?

Three-cylinder engines are on their strategy to European single-seaters for 2025, and it seems to be as if there may be each probability that they may revitalise a much-loved class.

For the reason that demise of the FIA’s outdated Formulation 3 European Championship on the finish of 2018, when the ‘F3’ title was given by the governing physique to the GP3 Collection, the outdated philosophy of F3 automobiles has raced on within the Euroformula Open (EFO) sequence.

In 2019, when EFO featured 4 drivers who would go on to begin Formulation 1 grands prix previously 12 months, in addition to a few future IndyCar stars, the sequence continued with the identical base Dallara chassis that had been in use since 2012. However since 2020, when the Italian constructor reworked the automobile into the behaloed 320, grids have steadily diminished to a meagre six to eight opponents final season.

Japan additionally stayed loyal to the outdated F3 with the Dallara 320 for its Tremendous Formulation Lights (SFL) sequence, however in 2024 launched the up to date 324 with a brand new TOM’S-developed Toyota spec engine, and this mixture is to be launched to EFO in 2025.

What makes this engine considerably completely different to something that has gone earlier than is that the TOM’S TGE33 relies on the 1.6-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged G16E-GTS out of the Toyota GR Yaris street automobile. Lastly, the two.0-litre, four-cylinder, air-restricted racing engines – in Europe, the mainstays have been Spiess (previously badged as Volkswagen within the outdated European F3 days) and HWA (Mercedes) – in use since 2014 are being pensioned off.

The important thing for Dallara, says its long-time F3 venture chief Jos Claes, is to retain all of the traits of the old-school automobiles, even amid such a radical change on the powerplant entrance.

“F1 drivers come and take a look at the 320, and so they say, ‘What an exquisite factor’,” says Claes, an amiable Belgian who has been across the F3 scene for therefore lengthy you wouldn’t be shocked to seek out out that he breathes by an air restrictor.

“We need to keep as shut as attainable to the burden and energy – we don’t want any extra.”

Claes, as somebody who cares passionately about this space of the game – and, after all, has Dallara’s pursuits to take care of within the enviornment that introduced it to prominence within the first place – was totally concerned in conversations with the SFL and EFO organisers.

“We looked for some years for a one-make engine answer,” he explains. “I pushed very arduous in Japan for a small, aluminium, ideally atmospheric engine, however they’re troublesome to seek out. I mentioned if we can not discover one, perhaps this [what became the TGE33] is the engine. The turbo is so small and the engine is so well-designed.”

Crucial factor was to maintain the burden down on this period of bloated equipment, and the 324 competes at not far off 100kg beneath the norm in FIA F3 and Formulation Regional.

“It’s a bit arduous to observe why it’s abruptly like this, however I feel previously there’s all the time been rumours that we received the higher engines”
Timo Rumpfkeil

“The excellent news is we will maintain the small tyres,” factors out Claes. “While you go to greater tyres and wheels, you add weight, after which you should go to greater brakes. Earlier than you realize it, 40kg have arrived.”

Naturally, as with most new racing initiatives, there have been teething issues. Whereas the TGE33 affords extra energy – 275bhp in comparison with 220bhp for the outdated four-cylinder engines – and torque, there was no need for greater, heavier gearboxes. SFL’s 2024 season lastly kicked off in mid-Might following points with oscillation after gearshifting that had been inflicting enter shaft breakages, whereas there have been glitches with bellhousings.

The oscillations had been “solved largely by electronics”, says Claes, “and from spherical two or three there have been no issues.” The result’s an engine with maps that embody “a really secure one they use”, plus “a lift map for push-to-pass if they need [in the future].”

German group Motopark, which got here near the 2018 European F3 title however was ostracised from the FIA’s F2/F3 ladder, has dominated EFO in current seasons. Group boss Timo Rumpfkeil says he’ll run six automobiles in 2025.

“We ordered a few new automobiles and the others we replace,” he states. “It’s fairly an enormous evolution nevertheless it’s nonetheless an evolution of the 320. They’d a number of glitches as you’d think about, however now they run reliably in Japan in order that’s good.”

EFO promoter Jesus Pareja will hope that new Toyota unit can increase grids after struggling in 2024

Photograph by: Euroformula Open

Rumpfkeil reckons curiosity is on the upturn. “For a few years sluggish,” he sums up, “however the second they announce it [the 324] we had been actually considerably up on requests in order that’s been good. Not just for us, additionally for the opposite groups. We’ve virtually closed our driver line-up and actually now we’ve got extra individuals asking for a seat than we’ve got seats, in order that’s a optimistic one.

“It’s a bit arduous to observe why it’s abruptly like this, however I feel previously there’s all the time been rumours that we received the higher engines and blah blah blah.”

The brand new engine has made the Dallara 324 faster than its predecessor. When you overlay pole occasions in Japan from these in 2024 in comparison with 2023 with the 320 and four-cylinder energy, they’re 98.308%. In different phrases, if the 2023 automobile lapped in 1m40.000s, the 2024 automobile achieved a 1m38.308s. When you apply this to the 2024 pole occasions in EFO – effectively, a minimum of these the place qualifying wasn’t affected by rain – then it ought to scale back the laptime deficit to FIA F3 automobiles to only over half what it has been.

“I’ve to say the Toyota Yaris GR as a street automobile is an efficient engine, astonishingly good, and all these fears or humorous engine noise… it sounds regular,” enthuses Rumpfkeil. “As stunning because the outdated technology of F3 engines have been, now it’s time for one thing extra cost-efficient. All people would have liked a naturally aspirated engine, however the actuality is there’s nothing actually accessible available on the market in any respect to do it. That’s why it was, in a approach, unavoidable.”

The engines additionally appear to be very equal. In addition to constructing them, Toyota’s famed TOM’S operation additionally runs a group of automobiles in SFL for the marque’s junior skills.

“Mid-season the opposite groups requested for an engine shuffle,” relates Claes, “and TOM’S mentioned ‘no downside, we’ll do it’, and needed to give their very own engines away. And the championship was gained by a B-Max driver [Syun Koide, one of Honda’s proteges].”

What’s extraordinarily encouraging for many who love the purity of the outdated F3 – however the truth that we’re taking a look at a spec chassis/engine components – is twofold. One, that the persona of the automobiles has hardly altered. Two, in accordance with the single-seater grapevine, whereas the impact of the incoming 324 on grid sizes for EFO is unknown in 2025, all of the indications are that there shall be 20-plus fields of Dallara 324s competing in Europe in 2026.

“The way forward for the normal F3 automobile was unsure with a small Japanese sequence [SFL grids just about broke into the teens in 2024] and a really small leftover Euroformula Open,” reckons Claes. “This yr Japan will in all probability get one or two automobiles additional, and for 2026 in Europe issues are wanting excellent. We’re making this automobile, which is a automobile that deserves it, get a second life.”

Will new engines result in a brand new period of prosperity for EFO?

Photograph by: Euroformula Open